Why catalytic converters are used

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Advertise with us. November 6, How much is a catalytic converter worth in scrap? The metals in catalytic converters can cause cancer, Yela warned. We get it. Ads can be annoying. But ads are also how we keep the garage doors open and the lights on here at Autoblog - and keep our stories free for you and for everyone. And free is good, right? If you'd be so kind as to allow our site, we promise to keep bringing you great content.

Thanks for that. And thanks for reading Autoblog. Weird Car News. View More. Your car will make a roaring sound that's loud enough to make you think the engine is ready to explode. If your car is experiencing such symptoms, take a peek underneath and see if a large section of your exhaust is gone, indicating a missing cat.

Does the thought of catalytic converter theft keep you up at night? Then you may want to consider taking a few preventative measures, such as:. What does a catalytic converter do? All vehicles have a least one catalytic converter, though some may have as many as four. Common catalytic converter problems and symptoms of failure So, you think you may have a bad catalytic converter?

Check engine light: The most common sign of a faulty catalytic converter is an illuminated check engine light.

Your car's computer will trigger the warning if it detects via the oxygen sensor that the cat isn't up to snuff. Reduced power: A clogged or restricted catalytic converter can create excessive exhaust back pressure, which chokes the engine, resulting in a reduction in power. Stalling: Likewise, a cat that's clogged or restricted can create enough exhaust back pressure to case engine stalling. Vehicle won't start: In extreme cases, a bad cat can create enough exhaust back pressure to prevent the vehicle from starting.

Failed emissions inspection: A bad catalytic converter will cause your car to fail an emissions test. Rotten egg smell: A good catalytic converter converts stinky sulfur into odorless sulfur dioxide [ 4 ].

But if the cat is bad, the sulfur will hang around, creating a rotten egg smell. What causes it to go bad? And considering the horsepower gain could potentially be counted on one hand depending on the size of the engine, a sports cat seems like the much more viable option if you really feel like the stock cat on your car is holding your powertrain back.

The impact of decatting will be amplified in a turbocharged car however, as the removal of a precatalytic converter would allow an increase in flow of exhaust gasses into the turbocharger. Catalytic converters work best when at high temperature, so a precat is a smaller version found higher up the exhaust system to help break down emissions at start-up when the engine is running very rich.

In a turbo exhaust system, the precat generally sits just upstream from the turbocharger, therefore a removal would derestrict that area of the exhaust. Have you changed to a sports cat or walk the tightrope of a complete decat pipe?

Comment below with your thoughts on this common yet risky modification! Please confirm you agree to the use of tracking cookies as outlined in the Cookies Policy. Sign in or register. Michael Fernie 5 years ago. Remind me later. Share Tweet Email Whatsapp. What is a catalytic converter and what does it do? The honeycomb mesh maximises the surface area for the exhaust gases to interact with.